Disappointed in My Journey

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9 days
by in Films/TV on Sun Wukong

I guess it is partly my fault for not updating this blog with more information about The Monkey King but then I realized that there really isn’t that much news about the fella.

There’s definitely a huge following of geeks out there but not quite enough to muster any real strength. We’re still waiting on Neil Gaiman and his re-creation of the journey, well into 2012 when he said he would produce something by 2011. I wonder what’s keeping him. Here he is with producer Zhang Jizhong.

Is he spending too much time tweeting instead of writing?

James Blunt & Sun Wu Kong : 孙悟空 : 孫悟空

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38 days
by in Inspired Music

I don’t get this blog / fan club for James Blunt but is also called “Monkey King Facts“.

Monkey King opera by musician Damon Albarn

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38 days
by in Inspired Music

Back in 2007, musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett, the co-creators of the animated pop band Gorillaz, actually put together a MONKEY KING OPERA. Retelling the eastern myth in European style and song.

But there are Chinese elements in this: For one thing, it has a Chinese director Chen Shi-Zheng.  And the majority of the cast is Chinese- with no speaking or singing parts because I guess they are cheap to hire and the only ones who can do the necessary acrobatics.

 

New Monkey King Movie (2012)

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179 days
by in Films/TV on Sun Wukong

An upcoming Hong Kong film directed by Cheang Pou-soi, starring Donnie Yen as the Monkey King is reportedly in the works.

After playing many martial arts heroes, Donnie Yen said he wanted a break from the role as he feels typecast and all the scripts being passed to him are of the same vein. As one of the most popular Asian actors today, he certainly can make that call and we’re certainly glad he has.

Yen will also serve as the film’s action director and according to Wikipedia, production began in Beijing on 18 October 2010 and was filmed in IMAX 3D and is set to release in 2012.

I can’t wait!!!

Filmko and Mandarin Films share in a 65% and 35% split the production cost which is currently reported at RMB400 Million. It has also been announced that Chow Yun-fat and Aaron Kwok will be playing the Jade Emperor and Bull Demon King respectively.

League of Legends introduces newest Hero

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321 days
by in Monkey King Games

Here is another game based on the legend of the Monkey King 西遊記. This time it is brought to you by Riot Games Inc (or have they been bought over by Tencent?) and this is their “commercial” on youtube. It’s not the most informative, but it is entertaining for the first few minutes.

Monkey King and the Olympics (2008)

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431 days
by in Monkey Trivia

Super awesome animation of the Monkey King and his friends making their way to the Olympics in Beijing. This was produced by BBC Sport as a marketing campaign. It starts off with the birth of the monkey king from a stone and then meeting the goddess of mercy and then an introduction to his companions, his way of travel (by cloud) and his magical cudgel. Click here for an amusing version of his origins.

Animation and music were specially produced by Jamie Hewlett and Damon Albarn.

Macau Stamps of the Monkey King

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577 days
by in Monkey King Stamps

These very beautiful stamps are from Macau (澳門), the former Portuguese occupied Chinese Island better known for its gambling dens.


Monkey King’s Journey to the West on the Magic Carpet


Various characters in the Legend of the Monkey King

Notes: The Chinese name for Macau is very different. It is pronounced Ou4 Men2 (ow-men for those who don’t know pinyin) 澳門. People believe that when the Portuguese traders first arrived iin the 16th century, they asked what the name of the place was and the locals thought they were referring to the Ma-Gok temple 媽閣廟 for seafarers and fishermen. Of course, the Portuguese decided to stay on given the trading opportunities. So for about 400 more years, after a series of wars and treaties culminating in a final one that allowed “a Chinese territory under (temporary) Portuguese administration”, the land was ceded back to China on 20 December 1999.

Who is the Jade Emperor?

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616 days
by in Monkey Basics

When Monkey King went to the Heavens, he was given work by the Jade Emperor in order to contain the chaos he we was wreaking. The Jade Emperor is often portrayed sitting on a throne with a bright halo shining behind his head.

I love this version by Will Ho although I doubt the Emperor was meant to be so jovial.

Jade Emperor by Will Ho

Footnotes:
The Great Jade Emperor ( 玉皇大帝 Yuhuang Dadi ) is of Daoist origin and is often simply called the ‘Jade Emperor’. For those who want to be fancy about it, his long name would be the ‘Most Venerable Jade Emperor of the Heavenly Golden Palace’ ( 昊天金闕至尊玉皇大帝 Haotian Jinque zhizun Yuhuang Dadi ) -OR- ‘Lofty Jade Emperor of the Mysterious Heaven” ( 玄穹高上玉皇大帝 Xuanqong Gaoshang Dadi ).

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